QB - Both guys firmly entrenched in their roles.
RB - Not the most talented group.
Jennings is like that Quadruple A baseball player (great minor leaguer, sub par major leaguer) only in this case I mean to say that he is a really good back-up RB but uninspiring as a starter.
Williams is a guy some like, most seem to dislike. Count me in the former. I think he surprises people with a move to the # 1 role.
Vereen - Does everything well especially as a receiver. With that being said, he really lacks the explosiveness that you often see in backs that fit his mold. Still, his role is pretty well defined.
Darkwa - Nothing not to like about his physical ability and hard driving running style. If he can continue to develop, I find myself wondering if Jennings (or Williams, I suppose) roster spot becomes tenuous.
Perkins - Quick, explosive 200 lb whose projection is not unlike Tiki Barber coming out of college. Let's hope its as good a draft pick as many believe.
FB:
Will Johnson - good versatile/physical and under the radar signing. I don't think Whitlock has a spot on offense as a result (let's see if he can make the team as a pass rushing DT).
TE:
Larry Donnell - he's had some success but strikes me as somewhat awkward catching the ball and is the least physical TE I've ever seen after the catch. If the kids develop, he may be a goner.
Will Tye - saw him a few years ago at Stony Brook. While he doesn't fit the 6'6" ex basketball player mold that you see so often these days, to me he's the kind of guy that will carve out a nice 5+ year career for himself. Strikes me as a reliable, hard working guy with athleticism that shows itself more so in games than height/weight/speed triangle numbers.
Jerrell Adams- Maybe he got lost in the Steve Spurrier nonsense, maybe it was the excruciatingly bad QB play at South Carolina, but this kid screams "top prospect" despite the low draft spot. I am really looking fwd to seeing what Eli/MacAdoo can do with him.
Lacosse/Malleck - I wouldn't be surprised if one of these guys (Lacosse probably has a better chance) to steal Donnell's roster spot. That would make for an awfully young TE corps.
LT - I still think Flowers is more of a RT, but the Giants don't ask my opinion w this stuff :).
LG/C - I think Pugh/Richburg could be a top interior lineman duo.
RG - Here's where it gets dicey. Can Jerry improve per the LeCharles Bentley camp? I don't think any of us can say, but surely he is motivated and realized his career is at a make or break point.
RT - Newhouse is flat out awful. I am encouraged by Hart especially after reading here on BBI that he's improved his fitness. I don't know if he is better suited for RG or RT but hoping the latter.
Bench: Besides Brett Jones who I am really hopeful that his "red shirt" year provided value, I can't say I am too knowledgable about Stingily, Seymour etc. They do seem to believe in some upside w/ Cleary and Gettis.
RB Jennings - he is 31, ancient for a RB. Do we keep O. Darkwa if he shows well in camp over Jennings? Doubtful BUT not without possibility. The coaches will see if Jennings has lost a shade, a shade of quickness and speed he couldn't afford to lose.
TE Donnell - he will be a UFA at year end. If Adams shows well; Lacosse shows well; Mallek shows well, than who do you keep and/or not keep? I think McAdoo is building so he'll go with the youth. I've had visions of Donnell showing well through 2 pre-season games and he gets traded along with a 6th for a starting RT, an upgrade RT. This would be a trade where both teams benefit and get something out of nothing.
LB Herzlich - he is 29 and while he can play all 3 LB spots against the run at POA he is a liability chasing and in pass coverage. Basically, he is a special teamer. Is UFA signee LB Shepard not a better choice to keep at this point? Not sure, but we'll learn in camp. Again, McAdoo is going to go younger whenever he can so a UDFA could surprise.
I like OC Brett Jones to be the backup center IF he has in fact learned the technique nuances of American football. He gained some serious size so he likely won't get pushed around as much this camp. I'm hopeful only because he so dominated in Canada. Does that translate to American NFL football? We shall see.
RT B. Hart - he played RT in college but some say he really doesn't have the feet for NFL RT and should play RG instead. We'll see what coach Solari can do with the young man who improved his physique this off-season. He is 22, 2nd year, and learning. Upside?
Our offense has some good young players; continuity; and Eli / OBJ. We will score if we stay healthy.
Go Giants!
What are the numbers now? He was undersized for NFL.
The difference between CFL and NFL is significant, requiring quite an adjustment. The spacing between the DL and OL alone is significant, requiring different use of hands in the NFL than the CFL The CFL spacing is 1 meter, whereas the NFKL is much closer and in your face. Quicker reaction time required and must get your hands in the correct spots much fast to be effective.
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2015/06/brett_jones_giants_challenges.html
The numbers on the BBI roster match what the article seays, 6-2, 318lbs.
Hopefully a year in the weight room helped him, and that last year’s knee injury (IR) wasn’t serious.
What are the numbers now? He was undersized for NFL.
The difference between CFL and NFL is significant, requiring quite an adjustment. The spacing between the DL and OL alone is significant, requiring different use of hands in the NFL than the CFL The CFL spacing is 1 meter, whereas the NFKL is much closer and in your face. Quicker reaction time required and must get your hands in the correct spots much fast to be effective.
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Looking at the Giants offensive linemen during practice in shorts and shells, Jones sticks out, but not necessarily for the right reasons. He's small (6-2, 318) in comparison to his teammates. He's the shortest offensive lineman on the roster (along with guard Adam Gettis) and doesn't look as solid as bulky as most of his linemates.
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2015/06/brett_jones_giants_challenges.html
The numbers on the BBI roster match what the article seays, 6-2, 318lbs.
Hopefully a year in the weight room helped him, and that last year’s knee injury (IR) wasn’t serious.
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Looking at the Giants offensive linemen during practice in shorts and shells, Jones sticks out, but not necessarily for the right reasons. He's small (6-2, 318) in comparison to his teammates. He's the shortest offensive lineman on the roster (along with guard Adam Gettis) and doesn't look as solid as bulky as most of his linemates.
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2015/06/brett_jones_giants_challenges.html
The numbers on the BBI roster match what the article seays, 6-2, 318lbs.
Hopefully a year in the weight room helped him, and that last year’s knee injury (IR) wasn’t serious.
But I do stand corrected as my memory (faulty at that) made me believe he was smaller last year. I do recall reports he looked small and posters from camp said much the same, but if smaller meant height well I'm no worried about that.
With B. Jones, it is all about mastering technique. Either he does or he doesn't.
How about your thoughts on WR?
How about your thoughts on WR?
Thanks
Thanks
As a fan, you have to hope that both RT B. Hart and OC B. Jones show they can play in this league and hold their own. UFA and / or an injury can change things drastically and you don't want a dramatic dropoff when a backup is plugged into the lineup.
Cruz's health, and SS's development, are two question marks....Then we have OBj and Harris....after that, it's a matter of someone rising from the pack.....
OL has to stay healthy....there is no depth....
TE may be more wide open than people think....
Roger Lewis: My guess is that given earlier reports on Lewis, the Giants will give serious consideration to him, but in the end the Giants will bias toward taller receivers after OBJ, Shepard and Cruz. Lewis ends up getting cut, gets picked up on waivers, and ends up doing decent for another team.
Anthony Dable: In spite of his height, he's probably too green. My guess is that he ends up getting cut, survives waivers, and gets signed to our practice team.
Roger Lewis: My guess is that given earlier reports on Lewis, the Giants will give serious consideration to him, but in the end the Giants will bias toward taller receivers after OBJ, Shepard and Cruz. Lewis ends up getting cut, gets picked up on waivers, and ends up doing decent for another team.
Anthony Dable: In spite of his height, he's probably too green. My guess is that he ends up getting cut, survives waivers, and gets signed to our practice team.
As for UDFA's like WR Powe and Lewis, it'll be a battle and special teams ability may be the final factor. Not sure which of these two is capable as a ST....or even as a wideout.
Cruz: Let's hope he can be what he was or even 80% of what he was.
Shephard: To me, he's Brandin Cook. Polished, mature game with dynamic athletic ability.
Harris: though he can make plays, the # 2 or 3 WR spot if too lofty for him. But at # 4 I think he is well suited (to go along w his ST prowess).
With low drafted or undrafted guys like: Davis, Lewis, Powe, White, King, Dable (I put them in order of most likely make the team), there are a nice array of physical attributes to develop. But clearly...special teams performance is critical for these guys.
As he approaches his 28th birthday, Gettis pretty much is what he is: a good backup left guard. (You could also argue that, if Pugh is the de facto third tackle, Gettis actually offers insurance against an injury at multiple positions.) If he proves that he can snap, Gettis might cement a roster spot by beating out Jones and backing up both Pugh and Richburg. In any case, if he sticks it will for immediate value, not long-term upside.
Cleary is 26 and on his fifth team. His ceiling is probably fourth tackle. His floor is his couch. He did go to BC though, so there's always that...
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They do seem to believe in some upside w/ Cleary and Gettis.
As he approaches his 28th birthday, Gettis pretty much is what he is: a good backup left guard. (You could also argue that, if Pugh is the de facto third tackle, Gettis actually offers insurance against an injury at multiple positions.) If he proves that he can snap, Gettis might cement a roster spot by beating out Jones and backing up both Pugh and Richburg. In any case, if he sticks it will for immediate value, not long-term upside.
Cleary is 26 and on his fifth team. His ceiling is probably fourth tackle. His floor is his couch. He did go to BC though, so there's always that...
Pugh has to be the 3rd OT over OT Stingley. If Newhouse went down, well, maybe the RT is Hart or Stingley BUT if God forbid LT E. Flowers went down you have to believe they'd move Pugh over to LT and plug in OG Seymour. That is how I see it.
I know that Klatuu and I disagree, but IMO, Hart is a future starter at RG, not RT.
I think Cleary backs up Newhouse and Jerry / Hart compete for RG.
It will sort itself out soon enough.
I've been contemplating whether we'd try to trade someone(s) from a position where we have depth for one where we don't, particularly RT. I know teams would be leery of trading a viable RT for say a TE like Donnell (starting material) and a conditional pick (5, 6, or 7?).
The RT would likely be high priced base salary and have some quality youth behind him, making him expendable. I'm not sure of any team that truly has this situation but there are 31 teams. After 2 pre-season games and some injuries at TE, maybe we get lucky and find a trade partner?
And if not RT, maybe WLB over JT Thomas, J Casillas? Just upgrade the position? Our front seven getting even better would be a blessing.
Just need to find a willing and needy partner.
It will sort itself out soon enough.
I didn't take it as a dig, dude, just a difference of opinion. It's not uncommon for a college OT to become an OG in the pros, and the book on Hart was that's where he'd end up. In this case, though, I think the book was a little short-sighted, and I'm buoyed by the steps Hart has taken to improve his footwork and athleticism with the goal of playing OT in mind. He's young enough and appears motivated enough to possibly succeed in this where others have failed. The Giants may be on board with this, because as I said earlier, they had him play RT exclusively in the spring.
And again, I hate to sound like the Jerry troll, but I don't see Hart or anyone else on the roster supplanting Jerry at RG. His run-blocking has been sub-par but his pass-blocking has been okay. Hopefully, the time he spent at Bentley's camp will pay dividends for him (and the Giants) going forward. Ditto for his new position coach. It's also a contract year for him and that should add some extra motivation for him to perform well.
The guy who should be worried is Newhouse. Although he's played a bit better than most give him credit for, he is still eminently upgradeable, and even if the Giants' efforts to find that upgrade have been half-hearted at best, they're most likely still looking. I hope Hart can give him a run for his money this summer, or, failing that, that a decent OT shakes loose from another team.
Just need to find a willing and needy partner.
But you only trade a "starting quality" TE, even if he is your #2 TE, if you have a clearcut upgrade for RT and the guys behind Tye look good. Reason being that I think Donnell and Tye form a super solid two TE, redzone 5 yards or less tandem. Donnell isn't a great blocker but he is a huge target and will go up for the ball and use his body to shield defenders. We need redzone offense to improve and I see our TE's keying that.
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Not a dig at you. We just have different reads on this. We both have positive outlooks for Hart, just at different spots.
It will sort itself out soon enough.
I didn't take it as a dig, dude, just a difference of opinion. It's not uncommon for a college OT to become an OG in the pros, and the book on Hart was that's where he'd end up. In this case, though, I think the book was a little short-sighted, and I'm buoyed by the steps Hart has taken to improve his footwork and athleticism with the goal of playing OT in mind. He's young enough and appears motivated enough to possibly succeed in this where others have failed. The Giants may be on board with this, because as I said earlier, they had him play RT exclusively in the spring.
And again, I hate to sound like the Jerry troll, but I don't see Hart or anyone else on the roster supplanting Jerry at RG. His run-blocking has been sub-par but his pass-blocking has been okay. Hopefully, the time he spent at Bentley's camp will pay dividends for him (and the Giants) going forward. Ditto for his new position coach. It's also a contract year for him and that should add some extra motivation for him to perform well.
The guy who should be worried is Newhouse. Although he's played a bit better than most give him credit for, he is still eminently upgradeable, and even if the Giants' efforts to find that upgrade have been half-hearted at best, they're most likely still looking. I hope Hart can give him a run for his money this summer, or, failing that, that a decent OT shakes loose from another team.